Calm Before The Storm
by Vikay
Summary: During the time of war, days of celebration can be something beautiful but also terrible. And Oritel fears that neither he nor his wife or his daughters will be able to celebrate anything ever again.


**Merry Christmas ^-^**

 **I really love Oritel and Marion but somehow I never really write anything about them. So I decided to give them a cute - and rather sad - Christmas-oneshot.**

 **Hope you like it :)**

* * *

Usually, they would have celebrated at this time of the year. Joy, happiness and peace reigned everywhere – at least it always felt that way.

They celebrated the landing of the Great Dragon on Domino. Nobody really knew when he decided to create Domino and choose it as his planet. Perhaps all this was just a story, who could say that after all these years? But there was a reason to celebrate peace and love, and Oritel would never want to change that.

This year, however, everything was different, because Domino was controlled by darkness. For weeks the witches had raged over the entire planet, attacked villages, and had already made some attacks on the castle. They could still face them, but Oritel was not sure whether this could continue like this that much longer.

Oritel wanted Bloom's first feast to take place at a more beautiful time – more so, he wished nothing of this would have ever happened. She was still so young and innocent, and at the same time exposed to the madness of three witches. If only she had never inherited the dragon flame.

Bloom lay in her cradle, as always, and was asleep. Daphne sat next to her in an armchair and seemed to sleep as well. She took care of Bloom all the time, around the clock, as he and Marion had little time to do so. She was so brave and selfless, and Oritel felt guilty and sad that they demanded that much from her.

The thought of Daphne enduring all of this was even worse than the one on Bloom. Bloom was still a baby, she would not remember anything – i _f the survived_ , Oritel thought and his heart contracted painfully. But Daphne was almost grown up, if not quite, and this time was probably even more difficult for her than for anyone else.

Oritel gave his two daughters a kiss on the forehead and then wanted to leave, but before he could reach the door Daphne's voice held him back.

"Father?" She asked sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for your mother," he replied. "Go back to sleep. But try the couch, it is a lot more comfortable."

Daphne smiled at him and Oritel could not help but smile back.

For a brief moment, his heart was lighter, but it turned back to stone as he left the room.

He had to admit to himself that he was afraid. Afraid to disappoint them all, and not be able to save them.

Oritel found Marion on the balcony not far from Bloom's room. He wondered if she had been standing there all along, and he had not noticed her the first time, because he had been lost too deeply in his thoughts.

"I'd like to feel the sunrays on my skin again," Marion said softly. She stood with her back to Oritel, but had noticed him anyway. She always did.

"I wonder how long this darkness is already here?" Oritel asked. "Sometimes I do not even know if it's day or night."

The sky was not black. It seemed rather as if a thick layer of clouds prevented the two suns from brightening Domino with their light, so that the sky often appeared gray and occasionally, when the sun was slightly stronger, blood-red. It was depressing.

Oritel went to his wife and looked at her. Marion smiled slightly, but Oritel could see the grief and sorrow in her eyes. It was not easier for her than it was for him, perhaps even more difficult. Oritel knew that she wanted to spend the entire time with her daughters, especially today, on this special day. Instead, she had to fight. And whenever there was peace for a short moment, she did not sleep, but went to Bloom and Daphne. Oritel wondered why she was here.

"What are you doing here?" He asked gently.

"I actually wanted to look for Bloom and Daphne," she said. "Then this view caught my attention. It looks terrible."

As she spoke, Marion pointed outside, and she was right. It really looked terrible. Everything was gray and gloomy. The traces of the last battle were still visible. Worn trees, churned earth, chunks of rock ... and isolated helpers, who carried the corpses.

Oritel had to look away. He could not let this horror come to him, because if he did, he was sure he would give up.

"Let's leave," he said. "Who knows when the next attack is coming. We should spend the time better."

He took Marion's hand and wanted to leave, but she held him back.

"Oritel," she said his name softly, and he turned around. "I'm afraid."

Oritel looked at her.

Her face was still as round and beautiful as the first time he had seen her. Surely she had gotten a few wrinkles, but she still looked young, almost innocent. It were her eyes which looked old. They were full of sorrow, grief, and fear. It hurt Oritel to see her this way, and he wished he could do something to release her from her suffering. But he was not able to do so and he hated himself for it.

They were silent for a moment and just looked at each other, then Oritel took her into his arms and whispered softly in her ear: "Me too."

They stood still for a while, then Marion broke the embrace and smiled at Oritel.

"Well, that definitely made me feel better," she said, smiling.

Oritel laughed. Only Marion managed to make him laugh in those dark times.

But then his face grew serious again. "I wish I could do more for you but I can't."

"You don't have to do anything," Marion replied, still a slight smile on her lips. "You just have to hold me. That's all I need."

Oritel did not reply, but gave her a slightly longer kiss, then said, "Let's look after the girls."

Marion nodded, and, arm-in-arm, they went back to their daughters, while Oritel hoped that somehow all of this could have a happy ending.


End file.
